The week of Feb.16-23 was the National FFA week. Which means that more than 557,318 members of the FFA in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands celebrated and contributed to get the name of FFA and the importance of agriculture to the community.

The FFA members and other agriculturalists are constantly faced with the question on how will the agricultural farmers of today support a growing world. As the National FFA slogan for 2013 is "Grow" it is not just to grow as an organization. But to also grow agriculture in order to fulfill the demand for products.

Did you know that families of framers and ranchers make up about 2 percent of the U.S. population? Or that farmers are producing 262 percent more than they did in 1950.

Farmers are using new technology that is causing a 50 percent decline in erosion of cropland by wind and water since 1982.

Also each year hundreds of thousands of trees are planted on farmlands. (The voice of agriculture-AFBF)

On February 16-17 the Clovis FFA chapter officers along with two junior high members that were competing in speech, traveled to Albuquerque for the New Mexico leadership conference, attending with a record breaking 540 other members of the FFA from around the state to attend workshops, where they learned about the struggles of agricultural life. And also to come up with solutions they could bring to the community to make people aware with not only how to conserve, but also on how to give back to those less fortunate.

With the struggles of a growing population it in turn brings hard times to those families that are less fortunate, the FFA is always looking for ways to give back.

Past New Mexico FFA officers Will Hodnett, Elizabeth Pantoya, Shannon Norris and Diego Dow attended to conduct workshops to get their views about hunger in motion.

When Hand, who is from Clovis, was asked what his goal was for the workshop he conducted he stated, "The goal of my workshop was to allow members and myself to meet on a more personal level, and build friendships. Also facilitate techniques of how to overcome obstacles they will face in their lives."